Grace Poe can run for president

The Supreme Court has decided that Senator candidate Grace Poe can run for president in the May elections, after the high court denied with finality all the motions for reconsideration filed by five complainants against her.COMMITMENTS. Senator Grace Poe answers queries from local reporters during a press conference in Dagupan Citiy, during which she mentions the programs and projects her administration will do in Pangasinan.

The en banc resolution issued on April 5 said: “No further pleadings or motions will be entertained.”

The high court said no substantial arguments were presented to reverse its earlier decision.

On March 8, SC reversed the Commission on Elections (Comelec)’s ruling that cancelled Poe’s certificate of candidacy over citizenship and residency issues.

Nine voted that Poe was eligible to run while six voted against. .

The SC’s final decision was reaffirmation that Poe is a natural born Filipino and has met the 10-year residency requirement to run for president of the country.

“There was more than sufficient evidence that Poe had Filipino parents — and was, therefore, a natural born Filipino,” it said.

The ruling also noted that as a matter of law, foundlings were, as a class, natural born citizens.

Even under international law, the court said, foundlings were citizens.

On the residency issue, the high court ruled that Poe’s claim that she would have been a resident for 10 years and 11 months on the day before the May elections was true.

Based on her application to reacquire Philippine citizenship and her family’s actual stay in the country over years, the high tribunal said it was convinced that Poe’s return to the country on May 24, 2005 was for good.